Some Small Piece
by JacquiT
Summary: Kalique really is impossible to shop for.


Written for fleetsparrow over on the Tumblr for the 2nd Annual JA Secret Santa Exchange. Her prompts were Jupiter, Kalique, special friendship.

* * *

About a month following what she referred to as "your unfortunate encounter with Balem" on Jupiter (the planet), Kalique Abrasax first reached out to Jupiter Jones. She'd insisted upon top security for the communication, which meant that Juipter found herself ensconced in Captain Tsing's ready room, Stinger and Caine and half the Aegis standing ready to defend her.

It had, essentially, been an invitation to tea.

Tea with Kalique, of course, would mean an intergalactic flight to God-only-knew-where Cerise was, and Jupiter had no interest in removing herself from the planet she'd just saved, so she'd declined – hopefully, with some measure of grace.

But Kalique was persistent. There had been a flurry of FTLs sent to Jupiter – not by Malidictes, but by Kalique personally. These were meant to ensure that she was safe on her newly-claimed planet, and had every resource and luxury which she, as an Abrasax, was due.

Jupiter responded to each of them, just to be polite. Yes she was fine, yes she was safe, Caine was a perfectly competent guard, Stinger provided her with all the information she cared to consume. When Jupiter mentioned faulty sheaves – as a joke only – Stinger was provided with updated tech, and Jupiter was provided with a cleverly modified iPad.

A representative from House Abrasax, hand-selected and sent by Kalique, arrived on Earth when Jupiter still habitually peeked in on her mother and cousins while they were sleeping, just to reassure herself that they were still there, and still whole. The representative, a pure human from a lower house apparently indebted to Abrasax, was pleased to be of service, etc. and Jupiter wondered if there wasn't just a hint of peacock DNA in her.

The representative had done her leg work, and knew that Jupiter lived with her family, but when she actually laid eyes on the house, she'd gone into full panic mode.

Accounts were set up. Wardrobes were curated. A sprawling estate in upstate New York had been secured; a household full of staff awaited her arrival at any moment.

Zicha Dall had pronounced all of this with a flourish as Jupiter sat on a park bench, eating a hurried lunch between the house she'd just finished cleaning and the house she was about to start cleaning. Her scowl of aggravation, even as she shoved a Dorito into her mouth, was evidently not what Zicha had been anticipating in response to her efficient handling of affairs, because she furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Are you displeased, your Majesty?"

"No," replied Jupiter, although she had to admit she sounded it. She rose to her feet and squared her shoulders to Zicha Dall.

Who immediately took to one knee.

"Oh my God, get _up_ ," she whispered. The words were harsh, but her tone was slightly panicked. She was supposed to be inconspicuous; she couldn't have strange people bowing to her in the middle of parks. When Zicha rose, she looked devastated. Jupiter felt horrible, but she wasn't going to budge.

"I don't mean to give offense, your Majesty. Please forgive me."

Jupiter huffed a humorless laugh and shook her head. "Miss Dall-"

"You needn't stand on such formality, your Majesty. I am at your service."

Her Majesty resisted the urge to scream in frustration, and decided to save the topic of what to call the representative for another time. "Look, it's not that I don't appreciate any of your work," she said. "And I'm sure Kalique will be pleased with the way you've done things. It's not that all of that wasn't like, super nice – it's that I don't need it. Any of it."

When Zicha merely blinked in response, she attempted to clarify. "I have a house to live in, right? I don't need somewhere else. I can do things for myself – my family has a business and I help them to earn money. I have security. My wardrobe is perfectly appropriate for what I do."

"I don't understand, your Majesty – your present living conditions are unfit for someone of your status – you are Entitled. You are royalty."

"I'm Jupiter," said Jupiter. "That's who I am. I like my old jeans and my snorey aunt; I like fighting for bathroom time and the mismatched table and chairs we eat at. Scrubbing toilets is not my favorite thing but it's an honest day's work, Miss Dall."

Zicha brightened. "Oh! Lady Kalique told me you'd say that. She said you'd need to be reminded that you needn't work any longer – your whole family shall attend you, of course."

Jupiter's eyes narrowed, just a hair. "Miss Dall, would you please confer a message back to Lady Kalique?"

"Yes, of course, your Majesty – what shall I say?"

"Tell her that I thank her for her efforts, but no change is necessary at this time. I'll stay where I am."

Jupiter left Zicha Dall in the park, slightly stunned and wondering where she'd gone wrong.

* * *

She fully expected the FTL she received from Kalique that evening. In fact, she'd gone out to Stinger's farm to wait for it, so they could speak openly.

Kalique was all concern and agitation. "Jupiter, darling," she implored, "please _do_ reconsider. You can hardly go about setting up your alcazar amongst Tercies, even if you don't intend to harvest Earth – which really is a shame."

"I'm not harvesting Earth – I don't care what it's worth," snapped Jupiter. "Kalique, this is my home."

"Yes – you're absolutely right, Jupiter. I apologize; I'll speak no more of harvesting Earth."

"Thank you."

"So, since it is your home, you should have everything you require at your fingertips. I know your family is important to you and I know you intend to stay there for the foreseeable future. Understandable – you've just discovered the entire universe, and your very important place in it. But your existence is no longer a secret, my dear. One of my brothers is dead and the other is . . . detained . . . for his attempt on your life. These kinds of things don't stay under wraps easily."

"Your point is?"

"To put it bluntly, your current security force of two – despite the cantankerousness of one, the charm of the other, and the tenacity of both – is insufficient. You'll recall that a pair of bounty hunters was able to remove you from their possession. Imagine what a determined assassin could do." She shrugged. "Imagine what could happen to your largely unprotected family. I know the Aegis are in orbit for now, but they'll soon be sent back to their usual work."

To be fair, this was a point that both Stinger and Caine had made to Jupiter on more than one occasion. But she could beef up her security and still live at home. "So what's that got to do with the estate?"

Kalique's eyebrows shot up. "Assuming you curate a proper security force, where do you intend to keep them?"

"Couldn't they just stay in orbit?"

"Possibly, if you provide them a ship," she said with a nod. "But would they stay there forever?"

"Well. . . ."

"Your space agencies and technology on Earth grow more sophisticated with each passing year. What will you do if the ship is discovered?"

Jupiter sighed. "Okay – I see your point. But do they really need a whole estate?"

"Where do you intend to host visitors?"

"What visitors would _I_ have?" asked Jupiter, scowling hard.

"If you'll speak to Zicha," said Kalique patiently, "you'll discover an entire list of requests to visit from other nobles, important business contacts. . . ." She paused for perfect dramatic effect, and then added, "Myself. . . ."

"Oh, _Jesus_." She sighed again, this time heavier. "All right – fine – so I'll talk to Zicha, I'll get the place in order. But I'm not living there." She crossed her arms and hoped she didn't look as petulant as she felt.

"Well, that's a start, at least. Get that handsome splice of yours to work on finding you a proper security team."

"All right, all right. . . ."

"Jupiter."

She looked up, and found Kalique's eyes. She didn't think she looked like Kalique, but her eyes were like Jupiter's own, round and expressive, and a bit on the big side. And, just at that moment, hopeful.

"I really do want to help you. I really do want us to have a chance."

For a long moment, Jupiter just looked into those eyes, trying to find a trace of deception or malice. Either because of Kalique's long years of practice hiding those things, or because they simply weren't there, Jupiter found neither. So she nodded, and exhaled, and her shoulders relaxed a little. "All right. Okay – just understand that I'm not your mother."

Kalique smiled, a little sadly. "I understand."

Jupiter let out a breath. "Okay – um – I have to go. Kiza's making dinner and I promised I'd be home by nine tonight – Mama's gotten a little paranoid lately. So, I'll talk to you soon, all right?"

Kalique's brilliant smile was back. "I look forward to it. До свидания, Jupiter!"

Jupiter blinked in disbelief, and she stared at Kalique a moment, not trusting her ears.

"Did you . . . just speak Russian?"

Kalique winked at Jupiter, her smile unwavering. All she could do was chuckle in reply, and she felt her cheeks burn a little. "Well – that was sweet. До свидания*, Kalique."

The screen disappeared and Jupiter found herself staring at Stinger's living room wall instead of Kalique's bright face. It was a tad jarring, but that was all right; she needed to think.

Jupiter wasn't much for politics, but she knew that wherever she decided to take her shiny new title, she'd need an ally, and Kalique was most obvious starting point. So whatever motive her attentions had, maybe it was better to accept them at face value for now. Relationships had to be built bit by bit – Kalique knew as much about Jupiter as Jupiter knew about her, really. So even if she were plotting or scheming something, perhaps the extending of an olive branch was for the best – it could change Kalique's mind.

And besides . . . it might be fun.

* * *

Christmas came faster than Jupiter thought it would that year. It felt like one moment she was taking her first peek into the beautiful brass telescope her family had given her, and the next moment it was Black Friday and Mikka was peppering her with questions about who she was going to get gifts for.

Like most years, Jupiter hadn't a clue what to get any of her family, and this year she had an additional list of names to buy for – namely, all the people who'd kept her alive. Those gifts would be easier, since she wouldn't have to explain where she'd gotten the money from. She'd have to stick to her usual budget for her family, although she'd done that every year, so while it would be frustrating, it wouldn't be new. But the one gift she was most concerned about wasn't for Caine, who'd physically caught her multiple times, or for Stinger, who'd become dear to her over the last few months in the way of a crabby uncle.

She wanted to give Kalique a Christmas gift, in addition to finally meeting her for tea.

The tea would have to be at least close to Earth – on Christmas, Jupiter wouldn't really have time for any travel. Zicha Dall worked with Malidictes to clear Kalique's schedule, and she was so delighted with the arrangement when Jupiter finally spoke to her about it that she squealed a little bit, which made Jupiter laugh.

Once the tea had been arranged – Christmas Eve, 2pm New York time, at the estate – Jupiter set out to find a gift for Kalique.

Jupiter herself had always liked gifts of beautiful clothing, so she started there. She'd always wanted to shop the designer stores on the Magnificent Mile, and now she had the money and a reason to spend it. On the Sunday after Thanksgiving, armed with her modified mobile phone and Caine as security, she headed for Michigan Avenue.

She spent the morning going in and out of boutiques, looking for just the right thing. By lunch time, the novelty wore off when she realized that even the best-dressed native of Earth didn't come close to what Kalique would consider fashionable, even for everyday clothing. In the Burberry store, Jupiter admired a pair of cropped black wool trousers with a price tag somewhere in the neighborhood of a thousand dollars, and wondered if Kalique ever wore pants.

Over pizza at Gino's East, she expressed her frustration to Caine. "I thought she'd be easy to buy for – just get her something pretty, you know? But I can't see her in any of this stuff, even though these are all beautiful clothes."

"Your Majesty," replied Caine, a tad on the tentative side. "Have you happened to speak with the manager of your estate about this venture?"

"You mean Zicha Dall?"

Caine nodded as he chewed his pizza, which he'd fallen in love with. "All those people you sent back to Cerise because you didn't need them probably included a team of dressers."

"Oh."

"I'm sure Kalique has two or three teams of dressers. She doesn't really pick her own clothing, they do."

"Oh." Jupiter slumped in her seat and took a bite of her own pizza, thinking. "Well – what do you think about jewelry? I suppose they put all that together for her, too – accessorizing and all that."

Caine nodded gravely, his mouth stuffed with melty cheese and sausage.

"But jewelry could be antique," said Jupiter, brightening. "I mean, gold and diamonds are really just rocks. And that way, it could be representative of the Earth, right?"

"Gold and diamonds are literally found everywhere," Caine shrugged. "And you might want to avoid anything that would cause her to infer that you are giving her the Earth itself."

"Oh God – no – she can't have Earth." Jupiter shook her head. "What the hell do you get someone who literally owns whole planets and is fourteen thousand years old?"

"If I may make a suggestion?"

"Of course."

"You have every resource at your fingertips in Zicha Dall. She wants to serve you, so let her."

She made a face. "You mean, let her find Kalique a gift?"

"Not exactly," Caine replied. "Consider the dressers, as an example. Their job isn't just to find clothes today for Kalique to wear. They search the entire galaxy for new things and make sure they're at Kalique's fingertips, so that when she wants something, it's already there. Their job is to anticipate her desires, not to react to them. For that to happen, they have to know Kalique. You don't know Kalique very well, but Zicha Dall does. She could put together some options, and then you can pick from those."

Jupiter nodded. "Kind of takes the fun out of shopping for a gift, though."

"I didn't realize this was supposed to be fun," said Caine.

"You're not having fun?"

"You're very anxious, your Majesty."

She grunted in frustration and slumped as she pushed her plate away. "I hate when you're right." She considered this information as Caine reached across the table and slid her plate closer to polish off the remaining pizza.

When he was finished, she sat up again, determined. "All right. Let's go out to Stinger's and call Zicha – I'll have her get to work on it."

Caine nodded his agreement, and once they'd paid for their meal, they bundled up and headed out to Stinger's farm.

* * *

A week later, she was back, settled comfortably in Stinger's living room with Zicha Dall, more peacock-like than Jupiter had ever seen her, ready to present three gift options.

Jupiter's only instructions had been that it had to be pretty, and it had to be antique. Zicha had asked about a budget, but since Jupiter had absolutely no reference point for intergalactic antiques, she'd just told her estate manager to use her best judgment. This probably meant that the items on Stinger's coffee table were obscenely expensive, but Jupiter figured that if anyone would unblinkingly accept an obscenely expensive gift, it would be Kalique.

"Your Majesty." Zicha Dall bowed, and then picked up the first object. "The first is the most diplomatic of the three choices – conservative, but still valuable and beautiful. Here you see an antique necklace, gold with rubies, pearls, and emeralds." She elegantly gestured to the gems dripping from the gold as she named them. "This was made in the fourteenth century on Montalo in the Pyrese system and was enhanced with a clever bit of tech by its last owner."

Jupiter's interest was piqued. It looked like something Kalique might wear, given the right outfit, and the thought of technology in a piece of jewelry was pretty cool. "Yeah? What's it do?"

The noble's face lit up, and she became animated as she told the tale. "If any dishonesty is detected in the wearer, it becomes extremely hot and will burn the skin. According to legend, it was given by a suspicious husband to his wife; when she wore it, he asked about her frequent absences. He became so enraged by her deceit that he strangled her on the spot!"

From the look on Zicha Dall's face, it was obvious that she was entranced by the story of lies and murder, and Jupiter could easily guess that Kalique might be as well. But for Jupiter, the whole thing took away some of the beauty of the necklace, along with sending cold shivers up her spine. "Um. I mean, that's interesting. But I'll pass on the murder-necklace."

Zicha was a little stunned by the quick dismissal, but rallied easily enough. She set the necklace aside and picked up the next object.

"Your Majesty . . . a pair of cut crystal vases, twenty-second century Cerise-"

"Were they ever used to kill someone?"

"Erm . . . no, your Majesty."

Jupiter smiled. "Excellent. Go on, please."

Zicha nodded. "Yes – twenty-second century, ocean-green cut crystal studded with diamonds mined from Cerise as well. This pair was owned by a noble family at one time; it's supposed that they were sold for profit when the family fortunes fell on difficult times. The handles on the lids, as you see, are made of two dragonfly's tails, intertwined – not Lady Kalique's, of course, but an homage to her."

Jupiter looked them over thoughtfully. They were certainly beautiful, but she wondered if they were any more beautiful than anything else Kalique owned. Jupiter didn't want to give her just another trinket. "What were they used for?"

"Considering the condition of the insides – which is pristine – the antique dealer concluded that they were among a set of twelve, used to hold the family's store of nectar."

"Pass."

Zicha held up a hand to stay the harsh judgement. "Your Majesty-"

" _Pass_."

Zicha did her best to suppress a discouraged sigh, and then pressed on. "Very well, your Majesty. As an alternative, for your consideration I have another necklace. It is from Epsis, in the Bradogh sytem. It is brand new, which of course does not meet your Majesty's qualification of antique, but I thought you might like it nonetheless."

She held up the necklace, which glittered in the afternoon sun. "It is handcrafted by one the most highly sought-after jewelers on Epsis, which is a mecca for jewelers from across the gyre. Come closer, your Majesty – this is simply exquisite."

Jupiter took a few steps forward. When she laid eyes on the necklace, she understood why Zicha Dall wanted her to come closer. The necklace was made of five dragonflies, each chained together with delicate swirls of a kind of metal that reminded Jupiter of the fictional mithril shirt worn by the Bagginses. It was dotted with jewels of every color, and really would have been stunning settled across Kalique's collarbones.

The problem was that the dragonflies' wings were _actual_ dragonflies' wings, attached to _actual living_ dragonflies, which were woven into the necklace.

She could not, in good conscious, support the splicing of living things into objects. But she also did not want to disappoint Zicha again, after she'd put so much thought and effort into gathering these things, so she felt forced into a small falsehood.

She smiled. "You know, that is exquisite. But I sort of had my heart set on an antique? So, I wondered – could you kind of set that aside and let me noodle it over a little?"

Zicha nodded, satisfied. "Of course, your Majesty. Shall I gather other options?"

"Oh – um – sure," said Jupiter. "Couldn't hurt. Thanks for all of this – these are beautiful, you know, despite the dash of murder."

Zicha bowed, in the odd, genuinely respectful way she had. "My pleasure, your Majesty. Anything I may do to serve you."

Jupiter never knew what to say to that, so she simply said her farewells to Zicha Dall and departed for home. It was nearly dinner time, and despite the fact that Zicha Dall desperately wanted to be of use to Jupiter, Jupiter was expected to be of use to her family.

* * *

After dinner, Jupiter elected to retire to her bed. It was colder in the basement, naturally, but she put on cozy flannel pajamas and thick socks, and snuggled under the comforter. She applied herself to researching intergalactic antiques, on her modified iPad, but kept getting discouraged. Not everything was connected to murder or the misuse of life, human or otherwise, but the price tags attached to them were astronomical. Jupiter knew she had money, more of it than she'd ever need, but she just couldn't see paying what translated to hundreds of thousands of dollars on a gift, even if it was an important one.

Eventually, her mother joined her in the basement, mumbling about noisy teenagers and how there wasn't a peaceful moment to be had in the house. She settled in, as Jupiter had, and opened her book with a satisfied sigh.

Jupiter looked her over for a long moment, smiling. If Aleksa noticed, she said nothing.

About a half an hour later, however, she decided she needed help, and she broke the silence.

"Mama?"

Aleksa flipped the page of the book she was reading, but didn't look up. "Yes?"

Jupiter sat up and set the iPad aside. "I want to get someone a Christmas present. Um – someone I don't usually buy anything for."

Her mother turned her head to meet her daughter's eyes. "Yes?"

"It's just – she's been really helpful to me, this year. And . . . kind." Jupiter was pretty sure it was kindness, anyway. "And I honestly don't know if she's been that way because she really wants to be a friend, or if she has . . . ulterior motives. But I kind of want to . . . encourage our friendship. You know?"

"You're talking about what's-her-name. Katherine Dunlevy."

Jupiter, who was trying to outright lie as little as possible, chose to avoid answering. The comparison was close enough. "So . . . what do you get someone who can just buy whatever they want?"

"Well, it's the thought that counts, Jupiter."

"That's pretty sentimental, especially coming from you," she replied, the ghost of a smile on her face.

Aleksa returned the smirk. "Guilty as charged. But a gift is not always about buying something the other person can't, or won't. The best gifts are intangible – time and thought and love."

"I'm afraid that's too . . . abstract."

"Well, so you buy her a little something. She knows you're not made of money – you scrub her house for a living. You can make a small gift meaningful. She likes pretty things, so – give her a pretty thing, and she will admire it. Give her a pretty thing that contains some small piece of yourself, and she will value it." Aleksa sat back again with her book. "If your friendship deepens, like you hope it will, she'll come to treasure it."

Jupiter smiled a little. "That makes sense. Thanks, Mama."

Aleksa nodded, and went back to reading. Jupiter sighed a little and slumped, leaning backward against the wall. She let her eyes wander as she thought, from her mother's dear face, creased in concentration, across the shared basement space.

It wasn't even a room, really – definitely not according to building code, with walls made of sheets and a rather distinct lack of a closet. Not that there was all that much to keep; Jupiter, by far, had the most in the way of "stuff" to fill the space. Nino's things were mostly the astrology books she kept in her own space, so as to avoid being teased by Vassily.

Aleksa had a single shelf, just above her headboard. It contained only a few precious books, an angel figurine from her childhood, and one other item.

It was this item that caught Jupiter's eye, and she rose from her cozy place on her bed to pick it up.

"She can't have that," said Aleksa, only a hint of warning in her tone.

Jupiter chuckled. "I know, Mama," she replied. "But I think something like it would be just perfect."

* * *

It took Zicha Dall, who was delighted to have something to do for Jupiter, about two weeks to arrange the gift. Jupiter did not want to think about how much it must've cost to get an artist to drop everything they were doing to make a single item for a former Tercie-turned-royalty. She was reassured that the artist was as happy to serve the House of Abrasax as Zicha Dall was. Jupiter didn't see how that was possible, but chose not to argue the point.

Jupiter arrived just on time to be dressed and presentable to Kalique. She'd let Zicha recall one dresser, who gave her an idea of what Kalique would probably wear and then helped Jupiter select a gown of her own. She'd decided on dark green silk with a red tartan sash, and an elaborate, asymmetrical updo that took the dresser and her magic hair-wand all of five minutes. Jupiter was feeling very festive already, having just finished wrapping her Christmas presents before she arrived, and her elegant gown added to it, so she was bright-cheeked and smiling when Kalique arrived and was presented to her.

Kalique's warm hands enveloped her own, and she pulled Jupiter in for a kiss on each cheek. "Darling Jupiter, don't you look smashing!"

"Well thanks," replied Jupiter with a little laugh. "You look beautiful yourself."

Kalique linked Juipter's arm through her own. "You flatter me. But I am very happy to be here – I see Zicha Dall has not disappointed. I was looking over your alcazar from orbit – it's quite lovely."

Jupiter began walking toward the room where the tea things had been set up. "You know I haven't had a chance to look around much. It's such a busy time of year for my family, I only arrived about an hour ago. But I do like what I see."

Tea was served in a small dining room not far from the main entrance of the house. The presence of so many servitants was a bit weird, but Kalique engaged her in conversation so earnestly as they sipped and nibbled that Juipter nearly forgot they were there.

The ladies chatted for a good hour. Kalique began by asking Jupiter to tell her about Zicha Dall's performance; Jupiter was happy to report that while she was a tad on the sycophantic side, she was very helpful. Conversation then gravitated toward Jupiter and what she'd managed to accomplish in the last handful of weeks. It hadn't been much – there was a lot to do – but she could at least report that her security force was growing under Caine and Stinger's watchful eye.

"Captain Tsing has been really helpful, too – she's referred a few people, given recommendations or warnings for others."

"You should keep her in mind for your staff," suggested Kalique. "You'll eventually need a ship, and someone you trust to Captain it."

Jupiter wrinkled her nose. "You think she'd do that?"

"If the price was right," replied Kalique with her patented brilliant smile.

Jupiter chuckled, and sipped her now-cold tea. "I suppose if it were an interesting enough job, with the right benefits, she'd at least listen."

"Oh, absolutely. Any position in House Abrasax is prestigious, of course. And if you've already got a relationship with someone, why not leverage it?"

Jupiter was about to agree when Zicha Dall appeared in the doorway. "I beg your pardon, your Majesties," she said with a bow, "but Lady Jupiter's allotted time is coming to a close."

"Oh – thanks, Zicha." As Zicha bowed and disappeared from sight, Jupiter turned again to Kalique. "I'm sorry I don't have more time," she said. "We should do this again soon."

Kalique rose when Jupiter did, and grasped her hands. "This really was lovely, Jupiter – thank you for the invitation."

"Maybe next time you come, you can stay for a little while. There's obviously plenty of room here, and in the summer I'm sure the gardens are beautiful."

"I do love a well-done garden," said Kalique.

Jupiter blushed a little. "I know – Cerise, the little I saw of it – is gorgeous."

Kalique chuckled a little, and squeezed Jupiter's hands again before letting them go. "Again, you flatter me."

"I have something for you," said Jupiter, and stepped over to a chair that had been pushed in, the seat concealed by the tablecloth. "It's Christmas – a very important holiday, which is why I don't have much time to spend with you. I need to get back to my family. I know I've been suspicious of everything since we met, but you've been very helpful and kind. At Christmas it's traditional to give gifts to your loved ones, and I got you something."

Jupiter produced a gift-wrapped box from the chair and handed it to Kalique, who was a little stunned.

She hesitated. "Oh! Jupiter – you shouldn't have."

"I wanted to." She pressed the box into Kalique's hands. "Please – I really hope you like it."

With a quiet smile, Kalique removed the ribbon and paper, and then the lid from the top of the box, setting it delicately on the table. The tissue paper was pushed away, and Kalique lifted the item from the box. Her eyes lit up when she recognized her own face in the varnished surface, and she gasped a little. "I do recall this gown," she said. "It's the one I was wearing when you and I first met. The artist has done a very faithful job of reproducing it – it's lovely, Jupiter. Thank you."

"Oh – that's not all," she replied, and reached over to take it from Kalique's hand. With one hand on the top and the other on the bottom, she twisted in opposite directions, and it broke cleanly in two, revealing a surprise inside.

"It's a nesting doll - матрёшка**," explained Jupiter. "A doll inside a doll, inside a doll. Traditionally, it's a toy, but obviously this one's not. They originated where my family comes from in Russia. Keep going – there's eight of them."

Still quiet, Kalique put the outermost doll back together, and admired the next doll a long moment before she mimicked Jupiter's movements to reveal each subsequent doll. Each was a likeness of Kalique, dressed in clothing from memorable occasions – her ten thousandth birthday, a festival in her honor on Cerise, the celebration of Seraphi's eighty thousandth year of rule. She remained silent as she looked over the dolls, and Jupiter nervously awaited her reaction.

When the seventh doll was opened to reveal the innermost doll, Kalique's breath caught. The littlest doll wasn't Kalique at all. It was a likeness of Juipter, in the purple gown that Kalique had first dressed her in, glitter in her hair and a smile on her painted lips.

"Jupiter." Kalique touched the doll's face, and then looked up at the real thing. "I am touched. Truly."

And then she surprised Jupiter by leaning in and laying a soft and lingering kiss, right on her lips.

When Jupiter was able to open her eyes again, Kalique had taken her hand. "I shall treasure this Christmas gift."

Jupiter smiled, and felt her cheeks flush. "I'm glad. If you really want to be friends, I'd like that."

Then she found herself embraced, and she hugged Kalique back with a little laugh. "Merry Christmas, Kalique."

Kalique pulled away and held Jupiter at arm's length, her usual brilliant smile back in place. "Merry Christmas, Jupiter Jones."

* * *

*До свидания (Do svidaniya): Goodbye (formal)

**матрёшка (matryoshka): literally "little matron." These might also be called babushka dolls.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Happy Holidays, everyone!


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